Apparatus for releasing consumer articles



March 28, 1961 M. N. MEYER APPARATUS FOR RELEASING CONSUMER ARTICLES Filed May 9, 1958 FlG.l

FIG.2

INVENTOR MOSHE NORBERT MEYER ATTORNEYS.

United States PatentO APPARATUS FOR RELEASING CONSUME ARTICLES Moshe Norbert Meyer, Block 88, Kfar Ata, Shikun Oleh Chadash, Israel Filed May 9, 1958, Ser. No. 734,291

1 Claim. 01. 221-205 This invention relates to an apparatus for releasing elongated consumer articles of circular cross-section,'such as cigarettes, candies etc., and to its releasing mechanism.

The known devices are usually operated by pressing a push button on a partof the apparatus, and a single article is discharged out of a funnel containing a heap of articles in the interior of the apparatus. Sometimes a winglike flap is inserted at the bottom of the funnel, on which the lower layer of the article or articles to be released rest. This flap is agitated during the discharging operation, in order to release the lower article from the pressure exerted on it by the articles above it, and to let it fall freely into the pit of the drawer. The drawers hitherto known move along a straight horizontal passage.

It is an object of the present invention to provide for another and improved releasing mechanism for such consumer articles of circular cross-section, which can easily be handled and assures the smooth functioning of the device. More particularly the invention aims at agitating the said flap repeatedly during the releasing operation in such a way that the device is not stuck at any moment.

According to the invention, the mechanism comprises a cylindrical drawer mounted for rotation about its longitudinal axis, the drawer being disposed at the bottom of a receptable for retaining a supply of the articles to be dispensed, the receptacle includes a bottom floor member or flap, a cylindrical drawer has an axially extending groove formed therein, the groove being adapted to receive a single one of the articles from the floor member.

By operating a lever attached to the cylinder, the latter is turned thrbugh an angle of about 90 around its longitudinal axis, so that the groove is brought into a position where the article rolls out of the groove freely by gravity for delivery to the consumer. The cylindrical drawer is returned to its original position by means of a spring acting in a direction opposite to the action of the lever. The flap, which forms the bottom of the container and on which the lowermost layer of the consumers articles come to rest, is adapted to pivot about a horizontal axis from the horizontal to a somewhat downwardly inclined plane. In the inclined position a single article can roll into the groove of the drawer.

-In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the agitation of the flap is produced by an electromagnet. The electromagnet is fixed beneath the flap, and arranged at a distance from the drawer, the drawer having electric contacts on its surface. By suitably arranging these contacts the electromagnet is repeatedly switched on and olf when the drawer is turned around its axis. Further modifications of the invention will be described hereinbelow.

The invention is illustrated by way of example only in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side view (end plate removed), showing dispensing mechanism in accordance with the invention in its normal or rest position.

Fig. 2 is a similar side View of the dispensing mechanism shown in Fig. 1 in the position wherein the article is about to be discharged.

The apparatus consists of a cylindrically shaped drawer 1, having an axially extending groove 2; the drawer is rotatable about its longitudinal axis 4 when actuated by a lever 7 turning about an axis 5, and having a sickle shaped extension which engages a pin 8 protruding from the end of the cylindrical drawer. After a rotation through an angle of the groove 2 is in a position to release the article freely. A spring 9 acts on the pin 8 to bring the drawer into its original position with the groove lying on top, as soon as the pressure on the lever is released. Then a new article drops into the groove. At the bottom of the funnel 6 a bottom closure flap 3 is arranged substantially in a horizontal plane extending from a side wall of the funnel which is remote from the. drawer and which extends up to a vertical plane coinciding with one edge of the groove. The flap is pivotable about a hinge pin 10, the other end resting freely on the peripheral edge of the cylinder. Agitation of the flap 3 is produced by an electromagnet 11 disposed beneath the flap 3 and to the left of the hinge pin 10. Fixed to the lower surface of the flap 3 directly above the electromagnet 11 is an armature 12 which is adapted to be attracted by the electromagnet 11. The electromagnet 11 will, therefore, cause the flap 3 to make a series of reoiprocating angular movements if its energizing circuit, designated and is intermittently closed and opened.

An electrically conductive arcuate segment 13 is mounted on one end of the cylindrical drawer 1. When the drawer 1 is rotated, the segment 13 successively engages fixed contact brushes 14, 14 and 14", bridging adjacent brushes during the course of its movement. During rotation of the drawer 1 from the position shown in Fig. l to that shown in Fig. 2, the electromagnet 11 is successively energized, deenergized, and-energized. During the return movement, it is deenergized, energized, and finally deenergized. The flap 3 is displaced accordingly.

Instead of a lever mechanism as shown in the examples any other device suitable for turning the cylindrical drawen through a suitable angle can be employed.

What I claim is:

Apparatus for individually dispensing elongated articles of cylindrical cross-section comprising a receptacle for retaining a supply of said articles, said receptacle including a bottom floor member pivotally mounted for angular displacement about a horizontal axis, a cylindrical drawer mounted for rotation about its longitudinal axis, said last-named axis being spaced from and parallel to said first-named'axis, said drawer having an axially extending groove formed therein, said groove being adapted to receive a single one of said articles from said floor member, manually operable means for rotating said drawer through a limited angle whereby said groove will be positioned to receive a single one of said anticles from said floor member at one limit of said angle and will release the same by gravity exteriorly of said receptacle at the other limit thereof, restoring means for rotating said drawer from said other limit to said one limit, an electromagnet acting on said floor member for causing pivotal movement of said floor member between a downwardly inclined position wherein an article Will be delivered to said groove by gravity and a raised position, an energizing circuit for said electromagnet, and switching means actuated by rotation of said drawer and included in said energizing circuit for repeatedly making and breaking said energizing circuit and thereby causing said floor member to move through a series of angular displacements between said downwardly inclined position and said raised position during said rotation of said drawer through said limited angle.

(References on following page) 544,968 Depnis Aug 20, 1895 1,008,867 She e Ndvi 14, 1911 1,497,576 Molins Jun 10, 1924 Upham Aug. 19, 1930 Essig July 20, 1937 Whitecar May 29, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS France Mar. 10, 1954 

